I heard a friend of mine complaining recently about how someone at his work had “made him do something” that cost him and his company thousands of dollars. His error had cost his company lots of money and his excuse was to blame someone else. As his friend, it was difficult for me to listen to him speak about this situation because ultimately I knew I had to ask him the question to get him to stop and think about what he was actually saying.
“Wasn’t that your choice to go with that vendor who ended up blowing the project?”
His response was, “Well yes, but…”
I said, “You are the procurement guy. Don’t they pay you to make those decisions?”
His response was, “You are right, they do”
“Haven’t you told me before that particular vendor has made other mistakes with your work?”
His response was, “I really messed this up haven’t I?”
My only point to him was this; He made the choice to use that vendor and it went the wrong way as a result. He knew better, but he still made the choice. That choice may still end up costing him his job…
Every day of our lives we all have to and get to, make choices that affect ourselves and other people. Some of our choices are good, and some not so much. But our choices will affect us for a lifetime and that is why we must strive to make the right ones…
I am not telling anyone anything here that you don’t already know. This post starts off basic to prove my ultimate point which is that God only recognizes two kinds of people;
The Godly- those who are characterized by righteousness and obeying God.
The ungodly- those who represent the ways of the world and who don’t care about the Word of God and who will not assemble with God’s people.
Which one are you?
Listen to David’s words in Psalms:
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. (Psalms 5:5-6 NIV)
YOU HATE ALL WHO DO WRONG
Guys, evil does not exist in the abstract. God only hates sin, but also hates those who perpetrate evil. On the other hand, the Bible reveals God as the One who loves sinners, reaches out to them in compassion and mercy, and seeks to redeem them from sin through the cross of Christ…remember John 3:16?
We, YOU and ME, get to make the choice for our own lives as to what kind of man we want to be. We choose either to be Godly or not. We choose either the narrow gate or the wide one:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV)
These are Christ’s words to us and they are very clear.
As we face a particularly tormented world right now where the future appears very bleak…I encourage you to make the right choice with God by choosing the narrow gate today. This choice will have a positive ripple effect not only in your life but in the lives of all your family members. I have seen this happen countless times and I never cease to be amazed at how the hand of God works with families.
And just think, all of this boils down to you making a choice for yourself…
Remember the words of the great warrior Joshua as he stepped down as the leader of the children of Israel:
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NIV)
Until next time Guys…
